UTAMAX : Journal of Ultimate Research and Trends in Education
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2025): Utamax : Journal of Ultimate Research and Trends in Education

Targeted Learning with Speaking Worksheets: Advancing Professional Communication Skills in EFL Higher Education

Hastini, Hastini (Unknown)
Mertosono, Sudarkam R. (Unknown)
Wahyudin, Wahyudin (Unknown)
Eisenring, Moh. Abraham Akbar (Unknown)
Sadilia, Sukmawati (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Jun 2025

Abstract

As English becomes the lingua franca of professional communication, many higher education institutions still overlook the importance of equipping EFL learners with targeted speaking skills for real-world occupational settings. This study responds to that pressing educational need by exploring the effectiveness of structured speaking worksheets in enhancing students' speaking proficiency and overall engagement in a professional communication course. Conducted through a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, the research involved 60 undergraduate English Education students at Tadulako University who were divided into an experimental group using speaking worksheets and a control group receiving conventional instruction. Students' speaking performance was evaluated across five critical dimensions: grammar, pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and contextual appropriateness. Engagement levels were measured using structured questionnaires. The results revealed a clear improvement in the speaking abilities of students who used the worksheets, accompanied by stronger motivation, enhanced self-confidence, and increased critical thinking. These gains, when compared to the outcomes of the control group, indicate the pedagogical value of incorporating structured, context-driven speaking materials into classroom instruction. Rather than functioning as simple practice tools, speaking worksheets emerged as dynamic resources that promoted learner agency, active participation, and deeper communicative competence. This study advances English for Professional Purposes by providing empirical support for using responsive, scenario-based materials in EFL instruction. It highlights the value of task-based, learner-centered approaches that connect academic learning with future workplace communication.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

UTAMAX

Publisher

Subject

Education

Description

Utamax: This is International journal publishing about education matters that covers a broad spectrum in education, aiming to build bridges between research and policy and to address issues of concern to the different levels and types of education, transversal topics and ‘big issues’ for policy ...